Real Wedding

Historic Ironworks Richmond Wedding: Tabitha & Allison

August 29, 2015

Tinder brought Allie and Tabby together – as Tabby says, Allie swiped twice! Allie worked at a boarding school in rural Virginia and Tabby worked in the DC area. Both were recently single but not looking for anything serious. Tabby even deleted her account at one point, but she eventually went back and once again caught Allie’s eye.

Tabby officially proposed to Allie in Vermont on a trip to visit Allie’s family, but she originally proposed on the beach in Mexico. It was the middle of a thunderstorm and a piece of seaweed stood in for the ring. The real proposal came with something more permanent and special, a ring that Tabby presented when she officially proposed. The brides’ Richmond wedding took place at Tredegar, a museum and former ironworks factory.

Many of the brides’ friends predicted that their planning would be amazing because they were two women planning an event. The reality of two strong women with strong opinions could have presented challenges, but their similar tastes saved the day. Tabby just wanted everything to be perfect for their day and had a lot of fun finding little things and coming up with ideas to make it unique and special. Allie was super grateful to her wedding planner for helping them nail down different ideas and making the wedding feel like it was truly theirs. She helped the brides customize the order and layout of the events to make the meaningful day feel like an amazing party.

Tabby’s stepfather and nephew walked her down the aisle. It meant a lot to her not to have her nephew just be the ring bearer, but also be someone who gave her away, as he was a pivotal character in developing Tabby into the person she is today.

Allie loved that Tabby picked out all of the music for the wedding day. Allie’s dad walked her down the aisle and before they turned the corner they heard Paul Simon’s Diamonds on the Souls of her Shoes blaring. The artist has always been a special connection for Allie and her dad.

Tabby will never forget Allie and her dad walking down the aisle to that music. When she and Allie began dating, they were sitting on the porch one day, drinking wine, and listening to music when the song came on. Allie told Tabby about she and her dad dancing to it all the time, and shared how the song was one of the reasons she decided to study abroad in Africa. It was a natural choice for Allie’s walk down the aisle.

The brides chose a Civil War Iron Works factory in Richmond, Virginia as their venue. They found the space unique and gorgeous, with a “boho/whimsical” vibe that they loved. They both wanted a minimalist look when it came to décor, so they upgraded their lighting package and decided not to take away from the venue’s inherent appeal.

Tabby and Allie recommend throwing the rulebook out when planning a same-sex wedding. Make your day a celebration of love. And if you decide to write your own vows, remember where you put them on the wedding day!

Tabby and Allie recommend throwing the rulebook out when planning a same-sex wedding. Make your day a celebration of love. And if you decide to write your own vows, remember where you put them on the wedding day!